Connor Coyle’s massive breakthrough chance threatened as Benn fails drug test
Connor Coyle’s big breakthrough fight is up in the air and may not go ahead this weekend after Conor Benn failed a drugs test.
The Derry middleweight is scheduled to fight Felix Cash in the chief support to the eagerly anticipated Benn versus Chris Eubank Jr DAZN PPV card set for London this weekend.
It was a chance for the world-ranked fighter to take a huge step toward a world title shot and spread the Coyle gospel to a massive worldwide audience.
The popular 31-year-old has heralded it as the ‘most important’ bout of his career and is looking forward to facing Cash, who is ranked 4th by the WBO, 10th by the IBF, 12th by the WBA.
āIām excited about this fight because the winner could be fighting for a world title in the near future,ā said Coyle. āIts going to be a great night of boxing and thereās going to be a huge crowd at the O2 Arena plus all the fans watching around the world on DAZN. This fight is also close to home for me so my fans and friends will have the opportunity to see me in the most important fight of my career,ā Coyle siad.
However, the fight card may be pulled last minute after it was confirmed Benn failed a drug test. Matchroom and Wasserman have said the show continues and that both main event fighters have agreed to fight. Indeed, the public workouts ran as scheduled.
A joint statement from Matchroom and Wasserman had earlier said: “We have been made aware that a random anti-doping test for Conor Benn conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association returned an adverse analytical finding for trace amounts of a fertility drug. The B sample has yet to be tested, meaning that no rule violation has been confirmed. Indeed, Mr Benn has not been charged with any rule violation, he is not suspended, and he remains free to fight.
“Mr. Benn has since passed a doping control test conducted by the UK Anti-Doping Agency, the anti-doping authority to which the British Board of Boxing Control has delegated its doping control testing for the bout. Mr Benn has passed all doping control tests conducted by UKAD.”
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) October 5, 2022
Yet the British Boxing Board of Control said: “On the evening of 4th October 2022, the Board of the British Boxing Board of Control Limited resolved that the contest between Chris Eubank Jnr. and Conor Benn scheduled to take place on 8th October 2022 is prohibited as it is not in the interests of Boxing. That was communicated to the Boxers and Promoters involved on the morning of 5th October 2022”
Most recently Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn has said the matter is with the lawyers and he hopes the show goes ahead as planned.
🗣️ @EddieHearn gives an update on #EubankJrBenn pic.twitter.com/QYhKzbR4NC
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) October 5, 2022
Irish-boxing.com understands Coyle was initially meant to fight Cash on Katie Taylor’s October 29th Wembley Arena card and it’s possible if this weekend’s fight night is canceled the bout can be pushed back to that card. If the fight night goes ahead without the Eubank v Benn, Coyle would be bumped up to main event
